[Music] [Applause] [Music] good afternoon or evening depending on where you are watching the Fox News Now stream from my name is Pilar arias and take a look at this shot that we have of Air Force One landing in South Dakota the president headed for Mount Rushmore that big Independence Day celebration he's not alone First Lady Melania Trump is with him he's in a beginning a speech ahead of the fireworks show what's all expected to kickoff at 7 o'clock Arizona time 10:00 p.m. Eastern and you're gonna be able to watch it all right here hey we have two live streams going on here now we've got the original one that mic patients earlier today with all the day's news and updates coronavirus news protests news and the like and now we have the Mount Rushmore event stream going as well I do want to let you know as you can imagine with such brilliant photography here they've got a lot of people working behind the scenes this live feed is currently being brought to us by the White House courtesy of the White House I mean we see Air Force one all the time on the ground but look at that plane right now flying in the sky those are some pretty cool aerial shots right and I've only been to Sioux Falls South Dakota I haven't seen much of the rest of the state but look you're getting to see all the scenery as well absolutely positively gorgeous again we're probably about hour and a half away from the president being at the podium if everything goes off as planned happy Independence Day weekend everyone happy 4th of July many people celebrating the holiday today observing it today and that's because it falls on a weekend very rare that we get a holiday falling on the weekend that gets to be observed on either a Friday or a Monday so it's one of those rare occasions 2020 just keeps bringing the surprises and the unusualness am i right again my name is Pilar arias thank you so much for choosing us to watch this I hope you are with family friends loved ones safely enjoying and celebrating the holiday remember if you do choose to light off fireworks do it safely we don't want to see any injuries again we are watching this Mount Rushmore Independence Day event courtesy of the White House thanks for being here everyone [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] ladies and gentlemen the 147th army band South Dakota National Guard ladies and gentlemen we are the 147th Army Band of the South Dakota Army National Guard please welcome our commander chief warmers survived Terry bechler as the band performs America the Beautiful [Music] I was born on the 4th of July 1776 and the Declaration of Independence is my birth certificate the bloodlines of the world run in my veins because I offered freedom to the oppressed I am many things and many people I am the nation I am 295 million souls and the ghosts of millions who have lived and died for me I am Nathan Hale and Paul Revere I stood at Lexington and fired the shot heard round the world I am Washington Jefferson and Patrick Henry I am Independence Hall the monitor and the Merrimack I am Lee grant and Abe Lincoln I remember the Maine the Alamo Pearl Harbor in September 11th I am John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King when friends called I answered and stayed until it was over over there I left heroic dead on Flanders field on the rocks of corridor of my bloody hills of Korea and the steaming jungles of Vietnam and the shifting sands of the Persian Gulf I was held hostage and I ran I am the wheat fields of Nebraska and the Black Hills of South Dakota I am the coalfields of Pennsylvania I am the Golden Gate and the Grand Canyon I am forest field mountain and desert I am the quiet villages and the cities that never sleep I am the ballot dropped in the Box the roar of the crowds and the voice of a choir in a Cathedral yes I am the nation and these are the things that I am I am conceived in Liberty and God willing and freedom I will spend the rest of my days may I possess always the integrity the courage and the strength to keep myself unshackled to remain a citadel of freedom and a beacon of strength for the rest of the world this is my wish my goal in my prayer because 244 years after my birth I am them United States of America [Applause] [Music] [Applause] since 1921 the 147th army band has been stationed in Mitchell South Dakota home of the world's only corn palace in 1911 Oh H Anderson composed a march in honor of this iconic building in 2004 a former commander of this band Joseph pekus arranged it for the concert band to celebrate almost 100 years in Mitchell the band will now perform the Mitchell Corn Palace March [Music] the band now continues with a march appropriate to this site and the freedoms that we enjoy here is Carl Kings hosts of freedom [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Rushmore by Alfred Reid was commissioned to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Rushmore music camp first performed in 1980 on this very stage this selection combines a little of america the beautiful' into a wonderful tribute to this site and a local camp that was started over 50 years ago [Music] Washington Jefferson Lincoln and Roosevelt leaders of characters shapers of a nation each is best defined by his own words [Music] George Washington father of our nation leader of the Continental Army in the first president of these United States his farewell address he spoke citizens by birth or choice of a common country that country has a right to concentrate your affections the name of American which belongs to you in your national capacity must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations you have in common cause fought and triumphed together Thomas Jefferson the third President of our country a planter a philosopher and author of the Declaration of Independence he wrote we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed Abraham Lincoln America's 16th president the great Emancipator and protector of the Union in his great speech four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal in his second inaugural address Lincoln closed with with malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us the see the right let us do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations Theodore Roosevelt 27th President of the United States the man of the bully Paulo and the leader at San Juan Hill spoke of his two predecessors we of the united states have passed most of our years of national life in peace we honor the architects of our wonderful material prosperity the Americans who stand highest on the list of the world's were these are Washington who fought to found the country which he have to work governed at Lincoln who saved it through the blood of the best and the bravest in the land Washington the soldier statesman the man of the pool head dauntless heart and the greatest [Music] and Lincoln said patient pain Lee Lincoln who for four years toil and suffered for the people [Applause] each man defined our spirit each man may be mortal carved into the landscape of South Dakota Washington Jefferson Roosevelt [Music] [Music] [Applause] during World War two the 147th army ban was a part of the 147th field artillery and served in Australia and in New Guinea to honor that history the band now performs the one hundred and forty seventh field artillery march by carl king [Music] good evening everyone thank you so much for watching this celebration at Mount Rushmore for the 4th of July Independence Day right here on the Fox News Now stream we do have two concurrent streams happening right now I am going to say if you are not currently watching on the stream that has more than 18,000 people watching you're watching on the stream that has less than 500 I am going to end that stream that's our stream from earlier today with a bunch of coronavirus and other updates from across the country again if you are not watching the YouTube stream that has more than 18,000 people please make the switch now we're having technical difficulties on the stream that has much fewer viewers so I'm going to be ending that stream but again thank you for watching happy Independence Day happy 4th of July happy holiday everyone [Music] the 147th army ban also breaks down into smaller music groups to support soldiers their families and their communities out of the group that you see before you this bin will split into a rock band a country band a small pop group a top 40 group and a brass group today we'd like to feature one of our groups our country group that goes by the name of drive on by using these smaller local teams we've been able to support many many more troops both in their in their communities where they are and performing the songs that they want to hear while we enjoy a march sometimes the 21 year olds don't enjoy those quite as much but they listen anyway so again it'd be our pleasure to present to you drive on [Applause] and as they go ahead and get ready to to perform for you today we would just like to say thank you all for allowing us to to come today to this historic place we the 147th Army Band has has played here in the past but never quite on a stage quite like this before you are welcome sir it is our it's our pleasure to play for for for everyone and with that let's go back to drive on [Music] you asked me where I come from here's what I tell everyone I was told by God's deep grey zone in every place [Music] countless dreams [Music] we were saying out of reach our birthdays are the way they are seeming to know that we've got a good with stars and stripes and the ego [Music] [Music] I pledge allegiance to this place if that bun as he learns too bad you got broad ground to do [Music] the Stars and Stripes [Music] no taint the only place on earth but it's the only place that I prefer [Music] raise my kids same way that my Monty yeah [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] he said good-bye to his mama he left South Dakota fight pull the red white and blue he was nineteen in green with a new m16 doin what he had to do he was jumped in the jungle the childhood food rumble with the smell of napalm and the sergeant said [Music] like dark eve a cloud 1200 came down on him and 29 they fought for the lives but most of them died in the one felony [Music] just cried as you can with the fire that's good so the Eagle fly through blue sky 1965 [Music] now he's spent the aided his ponytails but the Bears do please twenty-one but he's draw away to talk about the chef the Graysons airborne tattoo as he tires you know [Music] fun easy hoarders it's all for me [Music] we're the fire a few minutes dead in the [Music] ah 1965 [Music] you saw the eagle fly through clear blue sky 1965 only [Music] with the fire [Applause] [Music] only [Music] with the fire the Eagle fly [Music] yes to November [Music] he said good-bye to his mama as he left South code [Music] thank you thank you very much one more time for drive on let's hear it for us the 147th ireland would now like to continue with the program with a march by fred Huffer which features the trumpet section here is blackjack [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in keeping with the occasion and our location here at Mount Rushmore National Memorial the band will now perform American triumphant by Keith P lady [Music] [Music] [Music] this is now Rushmore Roger this is marine one Roger out [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Mount Rushmore marine one six minutes to LZ marine one Mount Rushmore Roger six minutes to LZ [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] veryone Rushmore Roger four minutes to LZ [Applause] [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Rosy's bring one this is not Rushmore copies off [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] smell [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] small town [Music] yes [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] we would now like to recognize the sacrifice made by the families of our military servicemen and women we couldn't do our job in faraway places without the support of these loved ones while we can't wait to get back home to be with them we know that we take a little bit of them to guide and comfort us the band would like to bring specialist Katie Kramer to the microphone to sing the classic take me with you soldier boy [Music] take me with you soldier boy take me when you start I won't take up too much space in your heart take me with you sometime boy with you [Music] ooh there's a job to do but somehow you will find [Music] make money with you sometime boy when you're messy someday you [Music] and job to do but somehow you are fine so the better burger [Music] be lucky to [Music] someday I'll return you saved me [Music] I'll return you save me to me [Music] the 147th army band and specialist Katie Kramer the 147th army band again is a National Guard band of South Dakota has made up with citizen soldiers from over six different states that come together and meet monthly in Mitchell South Dakota members comprise a variety of civilian jobs from from IT to teachers in specialist Cramer civilian career she's a nurse in Wisconsin keeper moving to close out our portion of this evenings program the 147th Army Band would like to honor your service or the service of any loved ones by performing the medley of the United States service songs these songs will now include the newly organized space force so please stand and be recognized when your service song is played United States Marines [Music] the United States Navy [Music] the United States Air Force [Music] and for the first time performed in a ceremony of this nature to the United States space horse [Music] the United States Coast Guard [Music] [Applause] ladies and gentlemen your United States Army songs [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] that concludes our portion of this evening's program welcome to mount rushmore welcome to south dakota and enjoy your evening [Music] [Music] hello [Music] to change [Music] you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and begun to roll [Music] it's a woman [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] change [Music] [Music] with you inside my and in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times I sometimes see you pass [Music] hello [Music] you are [Music] how'd you know [Music] you're until you time and time again how much I can [Music] I feel my heart will overflow [Music] I've just got to let you know [Music] [Music] are you somewhere feeling on me or in someone here [Music] we [Music] I love you [Music] and I won [Music] are you [Music] tell me [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] ladies and gentlemen please take your seats as the program will begin momentarily you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Applause] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you [Music] [Applause] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you you [Music] ladies and gentlemen the President of the United States Donald J Trump and First Lady Melania Trump [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you please rise for the playing of the national anthem [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] good evening everyone I'm Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ryland Eddington I'm a uh-60 pilot with the South Dakota Army National Guard's Charlie Company 1st of the 189th Aviation Regiment my wife Kayla and I would like to welcome you to the great state of South Dakota South Dakota National Guard along with our nation's military proudly serves our state and the nation whether at home or overseas we stand ready to support and defend the citizens of South Dakota and the United States thank you for your continued support of our armed forces we hope you enjoy the festivities tonight [Music] [Applause] [Music] senior master sergeant Chad y-nough i'm the aircraft production superintendent at the 114th Fighter Wing I grew up in Colton South Dakota and I joined the South Dakota Air National Guard in 1992 as the production superintendent I direct the maintenance for our f-16 fighter aircraft all the unscheduled and scheduled maintenance our mission is to generate combat air power with our of 16 aircraft it means a lot to me to follow in my parents footsteps it's very rewarding and I really like serving with my children that's also a rewarding opportunity ladies and gentlemen please enjoy your 114th Fighter Wing fighting Lobos South Dakota Air National Guard [Music] you good evening everyone I'm captain Justin purged nickels from Pierre South Dakota I'm a b-1 bomber pilot and proud member of the world-famous 34th Bomb Squadron Thunderbirds at Ellsworth Air Force Base I'm captain Garrett boom Mac from Rapid City South Dakota I'm a b-1 weapon systems officer and proud member of the 37th Bomb Squadron tigers at Ellsworth coming up you will witness the awesome power of the b-1b lancer strategic bomber capable of long-range long duration missions with a top speed of 900 miles per hour carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory we hope you enjoy the show happy birthday America [Music] good evening ladies and gentlemen your United States Navy flight demonstration squadron takes pleasure in performing for you here at Mount Rushmore South Dakota since 1946 the Blue Angels have had the unique privilege of demonstrating to the American public the precision techniques of naval aviation hoping to inspire a culture of excellence and service country here at Mount Rushmore we will perform a flyby in traditional Blue Angel formation so that you may see and take pride in the precise fashion in which your Navy and Marine Corps pilots are trained to fly representing your United States Navy and Marine Corps you ladies and gentlemen please welcome former host of Entertainment Tonight and your master of ceremonies Mary Hart [Music] thank you and good self Dakota evening to one and all we welcome you president Trump our first lady Melania and your whole family there are so many people I want to introduce very quickly but I want to say Thank You governor Nome for making this possible and thank you to you incredible audience you have been here for hours today and it was only a hundred and twenty five degrees out here in the Sun and you're not only seated here you are up there and you are beyond so you are just spectacular for being here to celebrate an early fourth of July the birthday of our great nation I also want to briefly introduce you know these gentlemen well former governor and current senator Mike rounds and John Thune longtime friend wonderful to have you here I see our NSC advisor Robert O'Brien welcome to South Dakota and Senator Paul Rand Paul I believe am i seeing you okay and then we have Congressman dusty Johnson seated over here Congressman Jason Smith congressman mark Wayne Mullen as well as Congressman Adrian Smith welcome to you all it is so incredibly great to be back in my home state of South Dakota and it started this simply a few weeks ago it was a text isn't that the way all of our important events occur in our lives these days did you get my voicemail Mary Christie I texted back no when did you leave it next second the phone rings its governor Nome saying hey Mary I have a favor to ask of you would you consider and when she explained this glorious night and the plans I said are you kidding I would be so honored so happy and let me just tell you that I am incredibly proud to have all of you who are first-timers here and I know there are people from all over the country visiting because I've talked to a few of you today and we're so happy whether it's New Hampshire or Delaware wherever you came from you had a trek but I know you're happy to be in this great state I have a long association with Mount Rushmore and it's making me mad that those guys up there and granite aren't aging because yeah as a young kid I was here with my family and then as Miss South Dakota and I thank you you know what I woke up at 3:00 a.m. about a week and a half ago and I went do I dare mention that but yes because it's important to me I am so proud of this state and the values that I was raised with here in South Dakota but I was here as Miss South Dakota in 1970 and the heart attack started when I went that is 50 years ago holy cow so I am proud of that in 1991 I had the great joy of co-hosting with fellow South Dakotan Tom Brokaw the rededication and 50th the golden anniversary of Mount Rushmore and we aren't we were honored by the presence of our 41st President George Herbert Walker Bush and our first lady barbara Bush and I'm bringing this up because President Bush we went fishing that day we went fishing the bushes and the Sugarman's and I just wanted to offer that I have a tackle box and I can put a live wriggling worm on a hook in case you and Melania would like to you know try to catch a few before you leave or when you come back I am so honored to be your master of ceremonies tonight and I know we are all so proud of our men and women in uniform wonderful to have you here we see port you we love you and we thank you we're all proud to be Americans we do live truly in the greatest country in the world and since I brought up yes we do I remember well the tumultuous nough stood to mult the tragedy but ultimately the triumph of the 60s I was growing up then and those were not easy times for those of you who happen to behold enough like I am to remember but you know what that was a terrible decade but we turned out to be a better nation and with everything going on now I know that we can come together sharing and listening to one another's ideas and we can yet again become a better nation it has been 11 years since fireworks were last seen here on Mount Rushmore and we are so excited to bring them back and I would like to thank Secretary Bernhardt our interior secretary for helping governor gnome and Thank You President Trump for making this beautiful evening happen and I want to thank all the incredible people who did those flyovers and I just couldn't help but thinking when we saw Air Force One flying over President Trump that bird's-eye view of the monuments must have been maybe even more spectacular for you than it was for us but we are so proud that you did both of those flyovers and we are so proud that you are here [Applause] and now I would like to introduce our first speaker a very special woman someone who I have gotten to know through the years you have gotten to know her you fellow South Dakotans she is a leader consistently challenging the status quo and working to make her state stronger for the next generation she's a lifelong South Dakotan and from the time she could walk she worked beside her dad on the ranch I love her too in college she married Brian another South Dakota farm kid she first got involved in politics after her father's tragic death serving as a citizen legislator in the South Dakota State Legislature from 2007 to 2010 before serving South Dakota in the US House of Representatives from 2011 to 2018 she recently gained national attention for her response to national events including kovat 19 protests and efforts to rewrite American history and maybe even more importantly she often says that her greatest accomplishment is raising three children who love the Lord love their family and know how to work hard would you please give it up for the wonderful governor of South Dakota Christina [Applause] [Music] good evening you all look so good Wow thank you for coming Mary you are just absolutely wonderful aren't we proud of Mary Hart so I understand there's a lot of South Dakotans here who's here from South Dakota how many of you here tonight it's your very first visit to South Dakota thank you for coming that means the world to me say tonight we have a very special guest with us we have the 174th cyber protection unit is with us here tonight could they please stand [Applause] folks these soldiers were deployed for 13 months as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom and they never got a welcome home so we decided to throw a big party tonight and officially welcome them home and thank them for their service would you give them a round of applause thank you for your service ladies and gentlemen we have a fantastic evening planned for you and let me start by introducing someone that has been absolutely instrumental to making tonight happen it is my honor to introduce David Bernhardt who is the United States Secretary of the Interior he was raised in a rural town of rifle Colorado which I've actually elk hunted they're so fantastic elk and rifle secretary Bernhardt grew up hunting and fishing on public lands he also has legal policy and administrative experience he served nearly a decade in senior level positions at the Department including as solicitor and deputy secretary under his leadership the Interior Department has expanded access to public lands they've advanced American energy independence strengthened the departmental ethics program and also delivered billions of dollars in regulatory relief to beginning since the very beginning of the Trump administration we are also honored to have his wife Jenna here this evening with us as well as his daughter Katie so ladies and gentlemen would you please join me in welcoming the United States Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt [Music] good evening Thank You governor it is great to be in South Dakota over a decade ago fireworks illuminated the sky over this memorial a place that honors our former presidents tonight they return tonight's celebration would not have been possible without the leadership of President Trump and governor known they called for a patriotic celebration and an incredible firework display here at Mount Rushmore mr. president first lady governor members of Congress and other guests welcome to Mount Rushmore this magnif magnificent monument surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota tells the story of the birth the development and the preservation of our incredible nation few places are more central to the collective American identity than Mount Rushmore overlooking us are George Washington Thomas Jefferson Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt these great leaders forged our great nation and preserved a the Department of the interiors National Park Service is entrusted as the steward and the guardian of our national parks monuments and battle fills all of which tell American story this story include moments of great triumph as well as setbacks and challenges reflecting upon these moments in our history provides solace rejuvenation and inspiration to all of us please join me in giving a hand of thanks to the wonderful employees of our National Park Service and particularly those here at Rushmore Mount Rushmore who have worked tirelessly to put this and that on thank you now they're awesome now as we are under the gaze of Teddy Roosevelt I cannot help but note that it was through President Roosevelt's leadership and resolve that we were able to enjoy the public lands and experience our national parks and it is in Roosevelt's conservation spirit that earlier this year President Trump called on Congress to pass a historic agreement investing in our public lands last month the Senate passed legislation that he called for and later this month we expect Congress will approve legislation to provide our national parks and public lands with the most significant investment in generations so that our children and grandchildren can fully enjoy the splendors of sites like Mount Rushmore Thank You mr. president thank you on this date in 1776 John Adams described his vision of how we should celebrate our nation's independence he said it should be marked with pomp and parade with show shows games sports guns bells bonfires and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other 244 years later President Trump foster's Adams vision even in times of challenge Adams's recognized it's pretty awesome Adams recognized that our independence day would bring American people together by doing so we can each reflect on and appreciate the principles and freedoms that bind us together to make America the greatest nation on the planet thank you and God bless america Thank You secretary Bernhardt and thanks to your entire team this was no small feat pulling off this evenings events and you guys were just absolute rockstars and helping us get it accomplished it is so good to be with all of you tonight I just appreciate you coming and helping us celebrate our Independence Day we have been working since before I was even sworn in as governor to get to this night tonight in fact when we had the ticket system set up we had over a hundred and twenty five thousand people sign up in a three day period to get to be one of the 7,500 people that are sitting here tonight in these seats for this celebration congratulations to all of you that are here in place now whether you're visiting one of our largest cities or smaller towns South Dakota is a state that prides itself on the close-knit nature of our communities tonight feel up to your left if you look to your right you're going to see that this crowd isn't just from South Dakota but it's from everywhere across this nation we just appreciate you coming and we know that this is a celebration across America these last several weeks we have been witnessing a very troubling situation unfold in real-time we are watching an organized coordinated campaign to remove and eliminate all references to our nation's founding and many other points in our history you know rather than looking to the past to help improve our future some are trying to wipe away the lessons of history lessons that we should be teaching to our children and to our grandchildren this approach focuses exclusively on our forefathers flaws but it fails to capitalize on the opportunity to learn from their virtues make no mistake this is being done deliberately to discredit America's founding principles by discrediting the individuals who formed them so that America can be remade into a different political image tonight tonight I want to invite you all and those around the country what the founding generation has important things to tell us about America's past its present and its future remember our independence was the result of many stars aligning including a unique assembly of powerful writers gifted thinkers and tremendous generals and don't forget they were supported by a simple citizen army that defeated the world's most powerful empire against all odds an incredible struggle we can find examples of perseverance dedication and commitment to certain fundamental truths these men did not stage a revolt against the Kingdom of Great Britain for personal gain or for personal power they did it because they knew they had to in order to defend their rights to live work and worship as they saw fit you know following the British defeat we could have had a king but instead we had a man who walked away from his position as commander-in-chief and then he also walked away from the presidency these examples like so many others rarely make the cut when looking back on their lives but they undoubtedly serve as an illustration of all that Americans should emulate now towards this effort the signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives and their sacred honor the Declaration is arguably one of the most important statements of purpose ever written not just because it serves as a justification for Independence to the entire world but also because it has led to our prosperity and inspired many other nations and peoples to seek freedom these words are not remembered nearly enough today we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights and among those are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed let us never forget especially today our government [Applause] let us never forget that today that our government has the power that it does because the people have consented to it we have consented specifically to a government that will serve all of us equally and that it will protect and uphold the fundamental rights enumerated by our Constitution it is our duty to renew our commitment to these ideals and to pass them on to those who come after us these ideals cannot be dismissed as the irrelevant opinions of flawed men our founders had their flaws certainly but to use those flaws to condemn their ideals is unjust and self-defeating how many of us have lived up to our own ideals without the words the ideals and the sacrifices of these few the world would not have a ringing example of true freedom we can speak and write worship work defend ourselves and even protest as we see fit because of these men and their ideals to attempt to cancel the founding generation is an attempt to cancel our own freedoms now the rich and beautiful lands on which many of us live in an which we're now standing today are the result of men and women searching for more at times especially today it seems like we're often paralyzed by the present and were defeatist about the future our country was founded by dissidents and people seeking to make a better life for themselves and for their children people all over the world continue to flock to America today the simple reason is that it is our commitment to the ideals that were laid out by our forefathers the struggle to maintain the Union was about the proposition that America must live up to the principles articulated in the Declaration and America's rebirth allowed a fuller realization of the fundamental purposes of government articulated in the Declaration in 1862 a simple question was put before Congress can we do better our choice was clear we could either nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope on earth the way is plain peaceful generous just a way which have followed the world will forever applaud the men and women who built this country envisioned in America that would project a positive influence throughout the world to spread the values of the rule of law optimism and Liberty to places that had not known them they also took on the mission of protecting the natural wonders of the West something all of us sitting here tonight can be thankful for in particular I think many of us especially those of us that are on the political front lines would be wise to remember it is not the critic who counts not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of Deeds could have done them better the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood who strives valiantly who airs who comes up short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming but who does actually strive to do the deeds who knows great enthusiasms the great devotions who spends himself in a worthy cause Who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who had the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with a cold and timid souls who neither knew victory or defeat boy you'd be hard-pressed to find a more appropriate quote to guide leaders today leadership requires wisdom a will to act and the confidence to stand up for what's right our love for America and our commitment to stand for the principles that make America unique deserves to be applauded we honor these men and women for their contributions their leadership all the positive things that they represent the things that make America unique and call us to live up to our promises this Independence Day let us be grateful that we have such words in such examples to follow and that others were willing to sacrifice so much to create a land in which liberty and law can be protected let us not destroy history let us learn from it by preserving and imitating what is good about it we are [Applause] we are all committed to a country where any person regardless of their standing at Birth can make anything of themselves thus applied to me I was just a farm kid now I'm the first female governor of South Dakota [Applause] but it applies to everyone else too let us like our founding fathers pledge our own lives our fortunes our sacred honor to the cause of liberty and self-government so that we may continue to have the freedom to follow our conscience to build our lives and to live in peace now I want to introduce someone who understands precisely what it means to brave the dangers of the arena someone who strives valiantly who knows great enthusiasms who spends himself in a worthy cause and who has firmly and repeatedly stated his commitment to place Americans American Liberty Americans safety and the American Constitution before anything else I am talking I am talking of course about President Donald Trump [Applause] mr. president mr. president welcome to South Dakota and thank you thank you for your efforts to bring this beautiful celebration of American independence history and Liberty to fruition thank you for your efforts to remind the American people that they provide the consent of the governed on which legitimate government depends ladies and gentlemen President Donald Trump [Applause] [Music] [Music] from the leaves of Minnesota to the heroes at tennessee gosh the plane I'm see the shine from Detroit down [Music] every American heart then it's time we stand [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] well thank you very much and governor gnome secretary Bernhardt we very much appreciated members of Congress distinguished guests and a very special hello to South Dakota as we begin this fourth of July weekend the first lady and I would wish each and every one of you a very very happy Independence Day thank you let us show our appreciation to the South Dakota Army and Air National Guard and the US Air Force for inspiring us with that magnificent display of American airpower and of course our gratitude as always to the legendary and very talented Blue Angels thank you very much let us also send our deepest thanks to our wonderful veterans law enforcement first responders and the doctors nurses and scientists working tirelessly to kill the virus they're working hard want to thank them very very much we're grateful as well to your state's congressional delegation Senator John Thune John thank you very much Senator Mike rounds thank you Mike and dusty Johnson congressman tae dusty thank you and all others with us tonight from Congress thank you very much for coming we appreciate there could be no better place to celebrate America's independence than beneath this magnificent incredible majestic mountain monument to the greatest Americans who have ever lived today we pay tribute to the exceptional lives and extraordinary legacies of George Washington Thomas Jefferson Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt I am here as your president to proclaim before the country and before the world this monument will never be desecrated these heroes will never be defense their legacy will never ever be destroyed their achievements will never be forgotten and Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and to our freedom [Applause] we gather tonight to here'll the most important day in the history of Nations July 4th 1776 at those words every American heart should swell with pride every American family should cheer with delight and every American patriot should be filled with joy because each of you lives in the most magnificent country in the history of the world and it will soon be greater than ever before our founders launched not only a revolution in government but a revolution in the pursuit of justice equality liberty and prosperity no nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America and no people have done more to promote human progress than the citizens of our great nation it was all made possible by the courage of 56 Patriots who gathered in Philadelphia two hundred and forty-four years ago and signed the Declaration of Independence they enshrined a divine truth that changed the world forever when they said all men are created equal these immortal words set in motion the unstoppable march of freedom our founders boldly declared that we are all endowed with the same divine rights given us by our Creator in heaven and that which God has given us we will allow no one ever to take away ever [Applause] 1776 represented the culmination of thousands of years of Western civilization and the triumph of not only spirit but of wisdom philosophy and reason and yet as we meet here tonight there is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for struggled they bled to secure our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history to fame our heroes erase our values and indoctrinate our children [Music] angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders to face our most sacred memorials and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities many of these people have no idea why they're doing this but some know exactly what they are doing they think the American people are weak and soft and submissive but no the American people are strong and proud and they will not allow our country and all of its values history and culture to be taken from them [Applause] one of their political weapons is canceled culture driving people from their jobs shaming dissenters and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees this is the very definition of totalitarianism and it is completely alien to our culture and to our values and it has absolutely no place in the United States of America this attack on our Liberty magnificent Liberty must be stopped and it will be stopped very quickly we will expose this dangerous movement protect our nation's children and this radical assault and preserve our beloved American Way of life in our schools our newsrooms even our corporate boardrooms there is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance if you do not speak its language performance rituals recite its mantras and follow its Commandments then you will be censored banished blacklisted persecuted and punished not going to happen to us [Applause] make no mistake this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution in so doing they would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty disease violence and hunger and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement discovery and progress to make this possible they are determined to tear down every statue symbol and memory of our national heritage that's very true actually that is why I am deploying federal law enforcement to protect our monuments arrest the rioters and prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law [Applause] I am pleased to report that yesterday federal agents arrested the suspected ringleader of the attack on the Statue of the great Andrew Jackson in Washington DC and in addition hundreds more have been arrested under the executive order I signed last week pertaining to the veterans memorial preservation and recognition Act and other laws people who damage or deface federal statues or monuments will get a minimum of 10 years in prison and obviously that includes our beautiful Mount Rushmore our people have a great memory they will never forget the destruction of statues and monuments to George Washington Abraham Lincoln Alyssia says grant abolitionists and many others the violent mayhem we have seen in the streets and cities that are run by Liberal Democrats in every case is the predictable result of years of extreme indoctrination and bias and education journalism and other cultural institutions against every law of society in nature our children are taught in school to hate their own country and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes but that were villains the radical view of American history is a web of lies all perspective is removed every virtue is obscured every motive is twisted every fact is distorted and every flaw is magnified until the history is purged and the record is disfigured beyond all recognition this movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mount Rushmore they defile the memory of Washington Jefferson Lincoln and Roosevelt 'day we will set history and history's records straight before these figures were immortalized in stone they were American giants in full flesh-and-blood gallant men whose intrepid deeds unleashed the greatest leap of human advancement the world has ever known tonight I will tell you and most importantly the youth of our nation the true stories of these great great men from head to toe George Washington represented the strength Grace and dignity of the American people from a small volunteer force of citizen farmers he created the Continental Army out of nothing and rallied them to stand against the most powerful military on earth through 8 long years through the brutal winter at Valley Forge through setback after setback on the field of battle he led those Patriots to ultimate triumph when the army had dwindled to a few thousand men at Christmas of 1776 when defeat seemed absolutely certain he took what remained of his forces on a daring nighttime crossing of the Delaware River they marched through nine miles of frigid darkness many without boots on their feet leaving a trail of blood in the snow in the morning they seized victory at Trenton after forcing the surrender of the most powerful empire on the planet at Yorktown General Washington did not claim power but simply returned to Mount Vernon as a private citizen when called upon again he presided over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and was unanimously elected our first president when he stepped down after two terms his former adversary King George called him the greatest man of the age he remains first in our hearts to this day for as long as Americans love this land we will honor and cherish the father of our country George Washington he will never be removed abolished and most of all he will never be forgotten Thomas Jefferson the great Thomas Jefferson was 33 years old when he traveled north to Pennsylvania and brilliantly authored one of the greatest treasures of human history the Declaration of Independence he also drafted virginia's constitution and conceived and wrote the Virginia statute for religious freedom a model for our cherished First Amendment after serving as the first secretary of state and then vice president he was elected to the presidency he ordered American warriors to crush Barbary pirates he doubled the size of our nation with the Louisiana Purchase and he sent the famous explorers Lewis and Clark into the West on a daring expedition to the Pacific Ocean he was an architect an inventor a diplomat a scholar the founder of one of the world's great universities and an ardent defender of Liberty Americans will forever admire the author of American freedom Thomas Jefferson and he too will never ever be abandoned by us Abraham Lincoln the savior of our union was a self-taught country lawyer who grew up in a log cabin on the American frontier the first republican president he rose to high office from obscurity based on a force and clarity of his anti-slavery convictions very very strong convictions he signed the law that built the Transcontinental Railroad he signed the Homestead Act given to some incredible scholars as simply defined ordinary citizens free land to settle anywhere in the American West and he led the country through the darkest hours of American history giving every ounce of strength that he had to ensure that government of the people by the people and for the people did not perish from this earth [Music] he served as commander-in-chief of the US Armed Forces during our bloodiest war the struggle that saved our union and extinguished the evil of slavery over 600,000 died in that war more than 20,000 were killed or wounded in a single day in an tiem at Gettysburg 157 years ago the Union bravely withstood an assault of nearly 15,000 men and threw back Pickett's Charge Lincoln won the Civil War he issued the Emancipation Proclamation he led the passage of the 13th amendment abolishing slavery for all time and ultimately his determination to preserve our nation and our Union cost him his life for as long as we live Americans will uphold and revere the immortal memory of President Abraham Lincoln Theodore Roosevelt exemplified the unbridled confidence of our national culture and identity he saw the tower grandeur of America's mission in the world and he pursued it with overwhelming energy and zeal as a lieutenant colonel during the spanish-american war he led the famous Rough Riders to defeat the enemy at San Juan Hill he cleaned up corruption as police commissioner of New York City then served as the governor of New York vice president and at 42 years old became the youngest-ever president of the United States he sent our great new naval fleet around the globe to announce America's arrival as a world power he gave us many of our national parks including the Grand Canyon he oversaw the construction of the awe-inspiring Panama Canal and he is the only person ever awarded both the Nobel Peace Prize and the Congressional Medal of Honor he was American freedom personified in full the American people will never relinquish the bald beautiful and untamed spirit of Theodore Roosevelt no movement that seeks to dismantle these treasured American legacies can possibly have a love of America at its heart can't happen no person who remains quiet at the destruction of this resplendent heritage can possibly lead us to a better future a radical ideology attacking our country advances under the banner of social justice but in truth it would demolish both justice and society it would transform justice into an instrument of division and vengeance and it would turn our free and inclusive society into a place of repression domination and exclusion they want to silence us but we will not be silenced [Applause] thank you thank you very much thank you very much we will state the truth and full without apology we declare that the United States of America is the most just an exceptional nation ever to exist on earth we are proud of the fact that our country was founded on judeo-christian principles and we understand that these values have dramatically advanced the cause of peace and justice throughout the world we know that the American family is the bedrock of American life we recognize the solemn right and moral duty of every nation to secure its borders and we are building the wall we remember that governments exist to protect the safety and happiness of their own people a nation must care for its own citizens first we must take care of America first it's time we believe in equal opportunity equal justice and equal treatment for citizens of every race background religion and create every child of every color born and unborn is made in the holy image of God we want free and open debate not speech codes and cancel culture we embrace tolerance not prejudice we support the courageous men and women of law enforcement we will never abolish our police or our great second Amendment which gives us the right to keep and bear arms we believe that our children should be taught to love their country honor their history and respect our great American flag we stand tall we stand proud and we only kneel to Almighty God this is who we are this is what we believe and these are the values that will guide us as we strive to build an even better and greater future those who seek to erase our heritage one Americans to forget our pride and our great dignity so that we can no longer understand ourselves or America's destiny in toppling the heroes of 1776 they seek to dissolve the bonds of love and loyalty that we feel for our country and that we feel for each other their goal is not a better America their goal is to end America [Music] in its place they want power for themselves but just as Patriots did in centuries past the American people will stand in their way and we will win and win quickly and with great dignity we will never let them rip America's heroes from our monuments or from our hearts by tearing down Washington and Jefferson these radicals would tear down the very heritage for which men gave their lives to win the Civil War they would erase the memory that inspired those soldiers to go to their deaths singing these words of the Battle Hymn of the Republic as he died to make men holy let us die to make men free while God is marching on [Applause] [Music] there were tear down the principles that propelled the abolition of slavery and ultimately around the world ending an evil institution that had plagued humanity for thousands and thousands of years our opponents would tear apart the very documents that Martin Luther King used to express his dream and the ideas that were the foundation of the righteous movement for civil rights they would tear down the beliefs culture and identity that have made America the most vibrant and tolerant society in the history of the earth my fellow Americans it is time to speak up loudly and strongly and powerfully and defend the integrity of our country [Applause] it is time for our politicians to summon the bravery and determination of our American ancestors it is time it is time to plant our flag and to protect the greatest of this nation for citizens of every race in every city and every part of this glorious land for the sake of our honor for the sake of our children for the sake of our union we must protect and preserve our history our heritage and our great heroes here tonight before the eyes of our forefathers Americans declare again as we did two hundred and forty-four years ago we will not be terrorized we will not be demeaned and we will not be intimidated by bad evil people it will not happen we will proclaim the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and we will never surrender the spirit and the courage and the cause of July 4th 1776 upon this ground we will stand firm and unwavering in the face of lies meant to divide us to moralize us and diminish us we will show that the story of America unites us inspires us includes us all and makes everyone free we must demand that our children are taught once again to see America as did Reverend Martin Luther King when he said that the founders had signed a promissory note to every future generation dr. King saw that the mission of justice required us to fully embrace our founding ideals those ideals are so important to us founding ideals he called on his fellow citizens not to rip down their heritage but to live up to their heritage above all our children from every community must be taught that to be American is to inherit the spirit of the most adventurous and confident people ever to walk the face of the earth Americans are the people who pursued our manifest destiny across the ocean into the uncharted wilderness over the tallest mountains and then into the skies and even into the stars we are the country of Andrew Jackson alyssia's s Grant and Frederick Douglass we are the land of Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody we are the nation that gave rise to the Wright brothers the Tuskegee Airmen Harriet Tubman Clara Barton Jesse Owens George Patton General George Patton the great Louis Armstrong Alan Shepard Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali and only America could have produced them all no other place we are the culture that put up the Hoover Dam lay down the highways and sculpted the skyline of Manhattan we are the people who dreamed the spectacular dream it was called Las Vegas in the Nevada desert who built up Miami from the Florida Marsh and who carved our heroes into the face of Mount Rushmore Americans harnessed electricity split the atom and gave the world the telephone and the internet we set all the Wild West one two world wars landed American astronauts on the moon and one day very soon we will plant our flag on Mars we gave the world the poetry of Walt Whitman the stories of Mark Twain the songs of Irving Berlin the voice of Ella Fitzgerald the styles of Frank Sinatra the comedy of Bob Hope the power of the Saturn five rocket the toughness of the Ford f-150 and the awesome might of the American aircraft carriers Americans must never lose sight of this miraculous story we should never lose sight of it nobody has ever done it like we have done it so today under the authority vested in me as president of the United States I am announcing the creation of a new monument to the Giants of our past I am signing an executive order to establish the National Guard of American heroes a vast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest Americans to ever live from this night and from this magnificent place let us go forward United in our purpose and rededicated in our resolve we will raise the next generation of American patriots we will write the next thrilling chapter of the American adventure and we will teach our children to know that they live in a land of legends that nothing can stop them and that no one can hold them down they will know that in America you can do anything you can be anything and together we can achieve anything uplifted by the Titans of Mount Rushmore we will find unity that no one expected we will make strides that no one thought possible this country will be everything that our citizens have hoped for for so many years and that our enemies fear because we will never forget that the American freedom exists for American greatness and that's what we have American greatness centuries from now our legacy will be the cities we built the champions we forged the good that we did and the monuments we created to inspire us all my fellow citizens America's destiny is in our sights America's Heroes are embedded in our hearts America's future is in our hands and ladies and gentlemen the best is yet to come [Applause] this has been a great honor for the first lady in myself to be with you I love your state I love this country I'd like to wish everybody a very happy 4th of July to all god bless you god bless your families god bless our great military and god bless america thank you very much [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] ladies and gentlemen and Americans of all ages welcome to South Dakota's Mount Rushmore fireworks celebration over the decades Mount Rushmore National Memorial has grown in Fame as a symbol of America a symbol of freedom and hope for people from all cultures and backgrounds tonight we celebrate our nation's birthday with family and friends across this great land and now look to the sky high above Mount Rushmore as we proudly present a pyro musical production the spirit of America [Music] the preservation of the sacred fire of Liberty and the destiny of the Republican model of government are justly considered as deeply perhaps as finally stopped on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people [Music] we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness [Music] [Music] that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth [Music] [Applause] [Music] in the words of John Adams independence day will be the most memorable in history it will be celebrated with pomp and parade bells bonfires and illuminations and set off tonight's celebrations here and throughout the land as a proud reminder of the greatness of our country and our people this kind of celebration could only take place in the land of the free and the home of the brave America let's celebrate [Music] [Music] a dream to take them [Applause] [Music] my country's easily [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] dreams and for sure [Music] one kid nails [Applause] [Music] might be [Music] [Music] [Applause] my dad at CERN we lost his right eye but he flew a flag out in our yard til the day that he died a woman my mother my brother my sister and me too [Music] happy now this nation has fallen their attack he mighty sucker punch came flying in from we're in the back see big black ass man we lit up your world [Music] [Applause] [Music] eleven astonishing [Music] courtesy [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] San Francisco Bay and everything is in between them as I little bit of fight amongst ourselves but you outside people best me stick together and you can take that to the bank that's the Cowboys lay your hands it's bird Steelers fan and I think you're gonna find the understand [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] if to my all the things were gone I'd work for on my life and I had to start again with just my children and my [Music] I thank my lucky stars to be [Applause] cuz the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that [Music] and I won't forget to me [Music] today cause there ain't no [Music] [Applause] [Music] the spirit of America continues as we pay tribute to our nation's true superheroes we salute the brave men and women of our armed services who are defending our freedoms around the world so that we can celebrate our independence in this great land we call America we also recognize all of our health care workers and first responders thank you for keeping us all safe [Music] [Music] start [Music] stay or leave [Music] [Applause] [Music] it sounds like [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] that means you learn to love again [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you to close out tonight's show the United States Air Force Academy band playing Battle Hymn of the Republic [Applause] [Music] [Applause] my eyes I see the glory [Music] he is true [Music] the fit each other the rapes [Music] he had lose his finger what [Music] he's true [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] in the Butte [Music] Oh [Music] transfigure [Music] as he died man holy [Music] whoa [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] ladies and gentlemen thank you for attending tonight's event please remain seated for the departure of the official party [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]
